Drainage problems caused former Masterchef star Jay Tinker to close Lord Street business

JAY Tinker has blamed drainage problems for the closure of his popular town restaurant.

Tinkers on Lord Street was the Masterchef star’s first attempt at running his own restaurant business.

But the former doorman revealed he had to shut it last month after drainage problems forced him to repeatedly cancel bookings at short notice.

The celebrity chef, from Banks, opened the restaurant with a glamorous launch party last year.

But the doors have been shut on the former Langs Pasta Grill premises for three weeks after Mr Tinker decided to close and concentrate on his restaurant in Aughton.

He told the Visiter the problems began when the building he rents the bottom floor of was taken over after its previous owners went into receivership.

He claimed during the turmoil he could not get anyone to fix the drains – and that then he was told his rent would be increased.

He said: “I’ve just had to cut my losses and call it a day. I’m gutted about it... I enjoyed my time there and loved my time there. I’ve got my restaurant in Aughton where I’m at full time and things are going very, very well. It was a situation that couldn’t be helped. It [the smell] was coming and going and the moment it started putting a couple of customers off I said I can’t do this.”

The restaurant was forced to close four times in four weeks, leaving Mr Tinker having to cancel bookings and turn customers away.

Mike Oliver, Mr Tinker’s business partner, said: “It got to the point where it was pretty much unmanageable, which was a shame.”

He added: “It was a fantastic restaurant but once you start having to cancel bookings it wasn’t going to be a viable business... I would like to thank all the people in Southport because they have been fantastic.”

Mr Oliver said the business partners would “relish” the opportunity to return to Southport in the future, but were not planning to do so at the moment.